Apostolova: Failure of projects in the north, due to local authorities

The European Union, last week, has cancelled projects worth 7.8m euros, because the northern Mitrovica municipal authorities have not removed illegally built facilities in the vicinity of the area where construction would have to begin, which was necessary for access to construction areas.

During an interview with a group of journalists, Apostolova, has said northern Mitrovica Mayor Goran Rakic had earlier promised he would resolve the issue. According to her, the decision to cancel projects has not been easy, and he has followed heavy talks. However, as Apostolova has said, the EU has certain procedures, more so when it comes to the money of the European Union citizens.

We realised there are certain problems that connect to these projects. For eight months we have been communicating with local administration in northern Mitrovica. The first condition for starting the project is to create access to the country, which is in the responsibility of the municipality to solve. The mayor of the municipality has been aware that this should be possible in April. Unfortunately, on the road and in the vicinity of space there are unlegal objects, which is in the responsibility of the Communist to solve this”

“Then, followed through with the mayor of the municipality and his colleagues, and all have been informed of what to do. Unfortunately, nothing has been taken. Our latest move, after the deadline expired, has been to bring the senior official from Brussels to visit northern Mitrovica, which has explained the seriousness of the situation to the mayor of the municipality. After the deadline, nothing happened again. We were put in the situation that we could not do anything but cancel the” projects, said Apostolova, who has added that the decision has been supported by the embassies of Germany and France in Pristina.

On the other hand, the chairman of the northern Mitrovica municipality, Goran Rakiq, said days ago that the annulment of the projects was made because the EU Special Representative in Kosovo, Natalia Apostolova, has asked the municipality to enable the continuation of the main bridge's revving over the Iber River, “without any guarantees for the preservation of citizens' safety”. Rakiq, in April of this year, has ordered the suspension of bridge revitives due to a series of incidents, which reportedly endanger the safety of citizens.

But, Apostolova, has also said that this decision has no link to the revitimate bridge, as Rakic has declared.

There is no connection between these two projects with the bridge. There is no political influence behind this assessment”, Apostolova stressed.

Meanwhile, Kosovo Police officials had stressed that the situation in northern Mitrovica is stable in the last period and that there have been no major incidents.

But, some students of the Serbian University of Northern Mitrovica, but even representatives of nongovernmental organisations, have given support to Rakiqi.

Nemanja Bisevac, a pro-rector student at the Serbian University in northern Mitrovica, expresses the opinion that the European Union's decision is not good either for university or for the city, but, as he says, given experiences with the EU in recent years, he believes in what northern Mitrovica Mayor Rakic says.

I believe that local self-government has done everything in its power. As a leading student, I've been involved in these developments in college. I think that the version the EU has communicated has nothing to do with the truth”, Bisevac said.

Filip Fichovic, a student of the Faculty of Jurydic at the Serbian University in northern Mitrovica, considers that with the annulment of the project, it is a loss for students and the city.

I think the EU has not had enough consensus for Mitrovica, its residents and for the students themselves who come here”, Fiqovic said.

Dusan Radakovic, executive director of the nongovernmental organisation Centre for representation of democratic culture, suggests that Rakiqi's decision to ban the work on the bridge has had real grounds, because according to him, numerous incidents within a short period of time are indication of a lack of lasting security.

The “at this moment is really not a good security situation even because of the upcoming (local) elections, but also because of the government's non-reformation and other problems. I agree with the mayor of the municipality, who has stopped the work right now, because until a better solution to the security aspect is found, other problems can begin. Therefore, I think the security situation can be solved and police and courts are participating in this, so that the work can continue”, Radakovic said.

Workes on the main bridge over the Iber River, located between the southern and northern part of the city, continue to be blocked because Rakiq, in April of this year, has ordered a series of incidents that have reportedly threatened the safety of citizens. He has asked the security, local and international bodies to ensure the safety of citizens.

The bridge, whose revitance finances the EU, has had to open in January 2017, but due to the construction of a support wall in the northern part, and then its collapse, the deadline has lasted. The project is worth about 1.5m euros and is also followed by the transformation of the “path King Peter” into the pedestrian area.